title: Association between occlusal anomalies and dental caries in 3- to 5 year-old Brazilian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between certain occlusal anomalies and the occurrence and severity of dental caries in Brazilian preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight public nursery schools in Canoas, southern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 890 three- to five-year-old children. Five trained and calibrated observers examined children for determination of decayed, missing and filled tooth (dmft) index (World Health Organization criteria including white spots) and orthodontic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Caries severity (dmft) and caries occurrence (dmft ≥ 1).
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariable analysis was performed using Poisson regression with robust variance in order to determine the occlusal anomalies which represent risk factors for the occurrence of the binary outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caries severity was significantly higher among children without spacing in the maxillary anterior teeth (P = 0·001) and mandibular anterior teeth (P = 0·003) and among children without accentuated overjet (P = 0·023). The multivariable analysis demonstrated that children without spacing in maxillary anterior teeth had an increased risk of dental caries (prevalence ratio = 1·43; 95% CI, 1·05-1·93). Open bite, accentuated overjet and posterior cross-bite were not associated with this outcome in the final model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Absence of spacing in the maxillary labial segment represents a risk factor for dental caries in preschool children.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. marcelamarquezan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marquezan
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marquezan
authors.forename: Italo Medeiros
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Faraco-Junior
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Feldens
authors.forename: Paulo Floriani
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Simone Helena
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D004245:DMF Index; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000473:pathology; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D003970:Diastema; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D024343:Open Bite / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data